'I turn old festival tents into fashion'

We are in the middle of the summer festival season and, for many organisers, a common sight once revellers go home is the waste left behind - including many, many discarded tents.

But one woman is saving them from landfills by giving them a second life, turning them into bags, waterproof jackets and streetwear.

Designer Jess O'Riley told the BBC she was part of a growing movement trying to tackle the country's festival waste problem.

She collects the leftover tents from fields, washes them and says she turns them into bright, bold pieces that look nothing like the muddy shelters they once were.

Speaking about one of her latest designs, the Leamington Spa-born designer said: "It doesn't look like it's made from a tent because I've turned it inside out, quilted it and really elevated the material.

"My favourite thing is changing the way it's viewed by using design to make it exciting."

According to the Association of Independent Festivals, about 250,000 tents are left behind at events every year, many too damaged for charities to salvage which leads to tonnes of nylon heading to landfills.

Through O'Riley's efforts, she said many of her creations ended up going full circle, bought by festival‑goers and worn back to the annual events where the tents were previously abandoned.

But despite her following of 40,000 people on Instagram, O'Riley, who runs J O Studios from Manchester, admitted businesses like hers were under pressure from large firms like Chinese online marketplaces Shein and Temu.

She returned to Leamington over the weekend to attend Art in the Park and showcase her designs.

"My main aim is to spread the message but also make sustainability really cool, really accessible," she said.

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